Rihanna’s Unapologetic Pop Domination

Rihanna recently announced that her seventh album, Unapologetic, will be released Nov. 19. That’s right: seventh. Rihanna has cranked out an album basically every year since she was discovered by Jay-Z, rocking the pop culture world with her upbeat, sexy dance songs. She’s tried every style, which is reflected in her massive discography, from “Where Have You Been” to “Shut Up and Drive” to “Man Down.” Rihanna has never been afraid to try something new and experiment with different genres and styles, which is why she is still the queen of the music industry.

A perfect example of this is her newest single, “Diamonds.” While the song is still very upbeat, it is a lot slower than her other recent hits like the Calvin Harris-assisted “We Found Love.” It is a lot more laid back than her previous material, which gives it a mellow, slightly sad tone and an R&B feel. The song also has a lot more synthesizing than some of her other songs, which lessens the power of her vocals. Most importantly, the actual content of the song is radically different.

Usually, Rihanna is in your face saying, “Come here, I’m sexy, let’s go.” “Diamonds,” on the other hand, is all dreamy and uplifting, instead of her normal sex-fueled dance songs. Even the lyrics are more toned down: “You’re a shooting star I see/ A vision of ecstasy/ When you hold me, I’m alive/ We’re like diamonds in the sky.”

The ability to produce any genre of music is the precise reason why Rihanna is on top of the pop world right now. Not only is she cranking out albums like a boss, but also she is not afraid to test boundaries and try something that is completely different: a slow, uplifting single. Look out for “Diamonds” as it rises on the charts and for the release of Unapologetic, which I’m sure will have a mix of dance anthems and some mellowed-out tunes.